(CR) Uchouten Kazoku 2 (The Eccentric Family Season 2)

[Flower]

Ep 07

Wow ... that was an unexpected turn of events, and in quute a few ways. Yasaburo is somehow a ... very relateable character at times.

There are a fair number of characters in this series that I dislike (to varying degrees), but part of the dislike is often related to their ... self centered pettiness, I suppose, and such a disposition of soul is indeed ultimately ... pitiable (in the good sense of the word, not the arrogant one), because those like that are ultimately ... unhappy themselves.

In other words, the way this episode presented the end of Suon drove home that many of the other characters I dislike (including even Benten) are actually down deep very unhappy, whether they are aware of it (perhaps likeBenten herself) or not (perhaps the idiot twins).

And the total end result is a re-adjustment of how I view the series (both season one as well as this one thus far) and becoming more invested in it. Good writing in my opinion, and perhaps a reminder of how series that have "non-human" main characters can drive home all the more aspects of the "human condition" I find myself so frequently losing sight of.

Next episode we may finally get some focus on Kaisei - am definitely looking forward to it.

[Dop]

Yeah, I think a lot of people were calling for Soun's blood at the end of the first series, but now that moment has come it still managed to be tragic especially as Kaisei was present at the end.

Here was a man tanuki who'd been driven by jealousy, jealousy for his brother, and now jealousy for his nephew, the very same nephew who had exposed his evil deeds now took the place he himself had been coveting, and a jealous rage which led directly to his demise.

Very well handled.

[SeaDoor]

Don't have much more to add but I thought this was an astonishing episode. Soun's passing didn't have the mystical qualities of his brother's death still the final scene was powerful. That look Benten gave Yasaburou when she nominated him to the Friday's Club was both cute and chilling at the same time. That boy needs to back off from his fascination with her because here there be dragons.

(Really looking forward to next week now.)

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Dop

Yeah, I think a lot of people were calling for Soun's blood at the end of the first series, but now that moment has come it still managed to be tragic especially as Kaisei was present at the end.

Here was a man tanuki who'd been driven by jealousy, jealousy for his brother, and now jealousy for his nephew, the very same nephew who had exposed his evil deeds now took the place he himself had been coveting, and a jealous rage which led directly to his demise.

Very well handled.

In addition to jealousy perhaps also fear ... remember the flashback of him saying that he would do anything at all to survive?

Very understandable, and an orientation that makes a lot of sense in retrospect ... one of those where once setting foot on a path guided and moved by such things it is gradually harder and harder to step off of it, and one's better judgement becomes harder and harder both to hear or even to act in accordance with it.

Yes ... very "human", and extremely relateable....

[AB079]

Wow... that was an incredibly good episode, excellent writting I have to say.

Soun's death holds the weight of following the wrong path and how even in the last moments the feelings comes out no matter what (and the true intentions), the way Yasaburou acted in his death was perfect. Benten as always doing what she wants, I really want to see her beated in the floor again as we saw on previous episodes, she needs to learn what humility is.

Next episode a lot more of Kaisei, really looking forward to that.

[Kanon]

I can only agree with everybody. That was a powerful episode.

Yasaburou's reaction to Soun's death was just perfect. He was able to witness the death of the man who sent his father to the hot pot, yet he found no joy in it, for this man was just another foolish tanuki in the end. And all furballs are equal in death.

Benten's scenes were great as always too, but the aforementioned moment overshadowed everything else.

[Guardian Enzo]

Need some time to process that one...

[Master_Yoma]

Things really turned bad fast after the onsen and then theres Benten not shy at all

Yasaburou really getting an eye full

[Cosmic Eagle]

I understand this story is semi-literal (I think?) but I still cannot process why any of the Friday Club humans who seem clueless about the non-human people would want anything to do with Jyuurojin. I mean he just threatens to shoot people out of hand and apparently have demons show up at his gatherings...

Originally Posted by SeaDoor

Don't have much more to add but I thought this was an astonishing episode. Soun's passing didn't have the mystical qualities of his brother's death still the final scene was powerful. That look Benten gave Yasaburou when she nominated him to the Friday's Club was both cute and chilling at the same time. That boy needs to back off from his fascination with her because here there be dragons.

(Really looking forward to next week now.)

Benten is as much a wandering fool (or furball lol) as much as anyone else, just that she is more whimsical lol. It's Jyuurojin that's the dangerous one

[MeoTwister5]

Well... that was one half poetic justice, one half tragic irony.

You could say that karma finally came to collect on Soun given all the things he had done over the years. Poetic because he was shot while in an Oni form, a literal demon of hell to those he had caused so much suffering to, especially his own brother's family.

Yet also tragic in its irony, for one so consumed by greed and jealousy to die in a manner no better than his own brother, the focal point of all his negative emotions. As Yasaburo says, all them furballs die the same, some struggling more than others. T

t's such a stark contrast in both their manners and philosophies between the brothers:

1. Shoichiro died in a hotpot, but was at complete peace with himself.
2. Soun shot as an Oni, in a fit of jealous rage.

Such a difference in their mental states as they faced the final moments of their lives. In fact it reminded me of perhaps one of the best death scenes in recent memory:

Spoiler for Dr. Strange:

Such a fine comparison on the nature and outlook of mortality, and probably the best episode so far this year for any show.

[Guardian Enzo]

Almost impossible to put into words how wonderful that episode was. I have chills.

[AB079]

This episode felt so nostalgic for some reason, everyone is starting to follow different paths, different ways of spending their lifes that is almost starting to feel like the beginning of a bittersweet goodbye.

Now after the last 2-3 episodes I changed my mind regarding Yasaburou and Benten, they can't be together even if it seems like Yasaburou have eyes only for her. Benten needs to find her equal, someone who can help her to reach that dream and now the only one who can probably do that is Nidaime.

So the reason why Kaisei can't show herself and need to stay in the shadows is because Yasaburou can't transform when she's in front of him. She really have a hard time dealing with so many problems but to be honest her feelings are real, if Yasaburou doesn't realize of how she takes care of him in many ways then he will be the most stupid tanuki ever. Kaisei is literally the perfect wife for him.

[SeijiSensei]

I wonder if he has the same reaction to Kaisei in her human form. While it's implied that he does, she shows herself only in her tanuki form, leaving open the question of whether it applies to her human or other forms.

[Pen3]

Mommy Tanuki is still the cutest thing on this show. I am glad she is having more appearance as of late. It was great to see the entire family together again and even Gyokuran is included in their family now is sweet.

[SeaDoor]

Anyone care to hazard a guess as to the solution to Yasaburou holding his transformation might be?

After listening to Kaisei and Yasaburou hurl insults at each other it's pretty clear they have strong feeling for each other. When she started crying though it just about did me in. This scene was a solid contrast to Benten and Nidaime very similar scene earlier.

[Master_Yoma]

So that how Yasaburou deals with is problems by hiding in the woods for a week

That some hair do Akadama got from Benten

[MeoTwister5]

Another episode of ironies in a season of ironies.

We've always said that if there's one thing Yasaburo's good at, he's incredibly good at hiding his true feelings and intentions, only letting out little bits of what's inside him when it is necessary, and nothing more than that.

It is then rather rare to see him unleash what's really in his heart to others. We only tends to see it explosively or in times of great emotional distress, such as when Soun died or when he was arguing with his brother over getting engaged again with Kaisei. In those times he lets loose with what he refuses to show other people, letting his mask come undone, and even then he only does so in bits and pieces before taking back control of his emotions. It takes a good amount of skill to do that?

But with Kaisei?

One thing I've always considered is that their human forms are symbolic of their need to mask themselves, to hide their true selves from the world and from each other. I've always found it weird back then that even when engaging with their families they maintained their human forms, but now that I see this latest episode it really goes to show that their human forms, also in relation to the threat of being stewed in a hotpost, is also their main form of guarded defense against outside threats, emotional and physical. It is a shield of sorts to protect themselves even from people close to them.

So going back to that emotionally fuelled argument between Yasaburo and Kaisei, well, this is perhaps the first time we really, REALLY see Yasaburo let go of himself and just let loose what's in his heart. An episode of ironies again because in this insult laden exchange of words, underneath it all, is perhaps a showcase of true honesty between the two. This is Yasaburo at his most honest, most bare, most exposed. Kaisei too, perhaps. One can assume that Kaisei is the same, she probably doesn't share enough of herself with anyone else, even her idiot brothers. So there, in fact, they seem to be only be truly honest with each other. This is why their inability to maintain their human form in front of each other symbolizes and encapsulates the very nature of their relationship.

To each other they can only maintain their Tanuki form: their barest, most basic and most exposed nature. Easily and readily exposed to the forces of nature both emotional and physical. To the world they can easily protect their selves in human form, but to each other it's almost as if they surrender that and openly expose their inner workings to each beyond conscious will. They can't control it, they can't seem to understand it, but in truth it seems because there's only one explanation as to why they are unable to maintain that protective human facade:

They can only truly be honest to themselves and to each other, with each other. Yasaburo hides himself from the world, but not from Kaisei. Kaisei, it seems, is the same.

This brutal honesty, unconsciously surrendering your emotional and physical self to the other, shows a close relationship they cannot find with anyone else. This for me brings about a certain unity of being between them, something Yasaburo certainly seems to avoid. To me, this is the strongest of bonds in any and all relationships.

That is why, in the end, Yasaburo x Kaisei is OTP.

[Flower]

Another excellent episode here - one where there was actually a lot said and shown, almost with no warning and rapid fire, as if Suon's death opened up the sluices for a moment and we got to see aspects of the main characters we only rarely got glimpses of before, certainly never before not in quick succession like that.

There were many very good moments, but without a doubt my fave was Yasaburo and Kaisei....

[Diluc]

Yeah, this is why Yasaburo x Kaisei should happen them really cute aside family matter, BentenxYasaburo is too unrealistic to happen. On other note Gyokuran was very sweet to blended well with family she should get married with eldest bro asap lol.

[Marcus H.]

In honesty, where we are most restrained. — subtitle of Yosuga no Sora, modified

So we learned about how the tanuki's ability to transform is based on the idea of freedom. This freedom, in Yasaburou's terms, is being free to fool around and cause all kinds of trouble, something that he takes pride in. But he definitely found himself unable to fool around when Kaisei is involved. I kinda notice that every Yasaburou conversation often has the guy managing the humorous exchange, EXCEPT when talking Kaisei, where the girl effortless takes the flame from him.

And now, Yasaburou struggles at this period in his life. The villain, the greedy Soun Ebisugawa, is dead, and the surviving members of the Ebisugawa and Shimogamo clans have to face the reality of passing the torch. The days of being happy-go-lucky are numbered. Yaichirou is now too busy with being the head of the family, Yajirou is preparing for a life way outside of his comfort zone, and Yajirou is also paving a path of his own (by making beverages that would make Tesla proud). Yasaburou, the guy who tends to take things in stride, has to face this new stage in his life as a tanuki.

By the way, is it still possible for Kaisei to get together with Yasaburou despite being the latter's transformation-breaking trigger? I personally don't think that there's any problem with this interaction, although it would clash with Yasaburou's notable skill in transforming. It all comes down to Yasaburou willingly setting aside his life-of-many-forms in favor of furthering the bloodline (and possibly being the sign of reconciliation between the Ebisugawas and the Shimogamos).